This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people," Barr said about one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history. The indictment charges four members of the Chinese Liberation Army.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement is the latest in an aggressive campaign by American authorities to root out Chinese espionage operations in the United States. Since turning the spotlight on China in 2018, the U.S. has snared a growing group of Chinese government officials, business people, and academics pursuing American secrets.
Roughly 147 million people had information, including Social Security numbers and driver's license data, compromised by the Equifax breach.
